Spring Breaks

Rest is an unexpected and often overlooked invitation from spring with a big impact on our energy and personal sustainability. Here’s how to integrate it into your work.

Befriending spring has been a growth edge for me as someone who has burned out *a lot*. When my creativity and energy return at the start of a new cycle, my impulse has always been to dive right in and take on too much too soon. 

But as I’ve deepened my understanding of spring, I’ve discovered the unexpected yet critical role that rest plays in the season. By leaning into spring’s unique invitation to rest, you too can move toward regenerative ways of working that can sustain you and your changemaking efforts for the whole cycle ahead. 

REST ISN’T JUST FOR WINTER

We often associate rest with winter.

It makes sense. Winter is a deep rest season that conjures up images of hibernating animals and trees with bare branches. All around us, we can see the invitation to rest, let go of the doing, and get quiet for awhile. 

We can feel this in winter’s counterparts in other cycles too–like the menstrual phase (bleed), New Moon, or that liminal space after a big project or chapter ends.

But rest also has a place in spring.

It’s easy to overlook when there is so much exciting action every day of the season. A new bloom. The return of the honeybees. Our creativity bursting back onto the scene.

But spring isn’t just about action. It isn’t just bright, sunny days with warming temperatures that nudge us to get outside and get going.

Spring is ALSO the wet, cold days that have us feeling sad we too eagerly put our winter sweaters away. These days remind us that we’re still rebuilding our energy after winter, and we need to balance action with rest.

We can use this oscillation between sunny and wet, cold days as a mirror for understanding our energy in this season and as a framework for how to approach rest in spring.

THE RADICAL RESULTS

Saying “yes” to rest in spring can be revolutionary.

When we let ourselves oscillate between action and rest, we initiate a new regenerative pattern:

• We cultivate our energy rather than blow through it

• We don’t use more energy than we actually have

• We set ourselves up for enough energy for the WHOLE cycle ahead

• We enjoy spring a whole lot more

In my experience, this is a critical shift for burnout prevention–and it’s a strategy that’s helpful at the start of any new natural or creative cycle, whether that’s the seasons, your menstrual cycle or a new project.

A SPRING APPROACH TO REST

Here’s how to integrate rest into the spring seasons of your work and life:

Rather than a deep winter sleep, spring rest is about interspersing lots of small, refreshing rest moments throughout the season.

Let’s go back to our model for this: spring weather. 

In spring, it’s common that a run of sunny, warm days will be followed by 1-2 cold, rainy days, before the sun returns.

So when you’re thinking about rest in spring or at the start of any cycle, it can be helpful to oscillate between a stint of “sunny” action-oriented days and an occasional “cold and rainy” rest moment that gives you time to renew your energy before you jump back in.

Your rest moment doesn’t need to be “cold and rainy”--it’s just a helpful model for understanding that if the whole of the natural world benefits from a little down time in spring, then it’s likely you will too.

Focus your rest on what helps you feel refreshed. 

This might look like physical rest–like a nap on a weekend afternoon. Or mental rest–like inviting in a change of scenery with a fun afternoon out, a weekend exploration, or a field trip with your team. Or even the rest that comes from spending time with others–like having a long lunch with one of your favorite people.

At the start of a cycle, but especially in spring, your energy and curiosity can be high. Let your rest nurture that by making time for daydreaming, trying new things, creativity, play and, of course, sleep.

The most helpful tip I can offer: build your breaks into your calendar.

GETTING STARTED

We do ourselves and our changemaking efforts a great service when we build in rest at the start of a new cycle. In this way, we cultivate energy that can sustain us for the WHOLE cycle ahead, not just a fleeting moment.

So, consider:

What could it look like to build in refreshing rest breaks whenever you start a new cycle?

And then, try one of the ideas you come up with. 

When we’re used to rushing through spring and burning out before summer has even arrived, taking rest in spring can be uncomfortable at first. But moving through the discomfort and experimenting with what works for you is how you plant the seeds for regeneration in your changemaking efforts. And the results are so worth it.

If you’d like to explore this and other energy management strategies from nature for yourself or your team, reach out to hello@sisterseasons.com and let’s talk! I offer 1:1 leadership and energy management support, as well as workshops and trainings for groups.

Photo Credit: Irina Bnsy

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the information provided should be construed as medical advice. If you have concerns related to your menstrual cycle, please consult a licensed health care provider.